Apparatus for constructing ceilings.



No. 834,940. PATENTBD NOV. 6,1906. 6. H. SHERWOOD.

APPARATUS FOR GONSTRUGTING CE'ILINGS.

' APPLICATION EILED FEB. 6, 1906.

I By W 73.16

i I i THE NOkRIS PETIRS CO WASHINGTON D C A TTORNE Y5.

PATENT OEEIOE.

GEORGE HY. SHERWOOD,

OE DAYTON, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR ooNs RuoTme CEILINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed February 6, 1906. Serial No. 299,791.

useful Apparatus for Constructing Ceilings,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for constructing ceilings.

The object of the invention is in a ready and practical manner to improve the resent methods in vogue of constructing cei ings in 1 buildings emplo 'ng structural iron, whereby the ceiling shal have a highly finished .and

ornamental appearance without mars and defects that will require the services of a iElla-isilalerler to correct after the ceiling has been A further object is to simplify andimprove the ap aratus used in constructing a ceiling, Where y it shall be adapted for repeated use without deterioration, and in which damage resulting from being erected or taken down shall positively be prevented With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel method of and apparatus for constructing ceilings, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate correspondmg parts, Figure 1 1s a plan View, partly in section, of a ceiling constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig; 2 is aview ilp transverse section taken on the line 2 2,

i 1. fro m the under side of one of the center-sections. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail View of a center-support. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of a portion of a temporary soflitboard used in carrying out the procedure. Fig. 6 is a detail view in elevation of a portion of the apparatus.

tail view of a pair of wedges employed in set ting the sections of the center. Fig. 8 is a pers ective view of a soffit-board spacingloc used with the apparatus.

The improvement of the present invention resides more particularly in a novel form of center to be used in connection with a struc-f at the time the ceiling is constructed.

Fig. 7 is a perspective deq The center consists of four sections 1, 2, 3, and 4, each a counterpart of the other, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 3. While the construction therein shown is one that has been found thoroughly effective for the purpose, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto, as changes in the arrangement and construction of the parts may be adopted if found neces- -sary or desirable and still be within the scope of the invention. y

As shown in the figure referred to, the sec- :tion consists of two longitudinal beams 5, gthree facing-boards 6, 7, and 8, and liningboards 8, that are secured to the beams 5 and @facing-boards to form a rigid structure. The dining-boards are covered by a sheath 9, prefaerably of sheet-iron, which is bent down over the facing-board 6 and secured thereto by inails '10 or other equivalent forms of fastening devices. The sheath may be made of plain 1 sheet metal; but for the pur ose of impartin an ornamentation t0 the cei git is preferre 'to provide the same with corrugations or.

channels 11 and 12, that cross in tlns instance at right angles to each other, although they 5 may be otherwise disposed, and in addition to forming well-defined panels inthe plaster they also serve to reinforce the sheathing. These sections will be made of such size that four of them will constitute a center for a ceiling of ordinary size, and while it will generally be preferred 'to make them in quarters it will beobvious that where a ceiling is of extreme size they may be made in sixths,

As shown in Fig. 2, the sections are supspaced members 14., having outward-projecting terminals 15. These anchors are not secured to the soliits, but are held combined therewith, whenthe structure is in position,

by keepers 16, that are secured to the inner surfaces of the facing-boards 6 and wedges 16 as shown in Fig. 6, the terminals 15 operating to hold the anchors against discon nection from the'keepers. Each anchor is substantially a hollow rectangle in form, and the s ace between the members is of a size readi y to accommodate the soflit. As will be apparent, in order to permit positioning of the section, as shown in Fig. 1, there must be some play left between the Opposed ends of the sections, and this will ,eighths, &c., to meet the requirements Of the it case.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective, taken 5 ported by soffit-boards 13, each of which carries a plurality of anchors comprising two leave lon itudinal spaces 17 between the said ends. T ese s aces are adapted to be engaged by doubl wedges 18, which when positioned will operate to 'force the sections tightly against the spacing-blocks 19, that bear against the beams 20, so that when the cement or mortar is applied to form the ceiling it can also be applied to thebeams, thereby providing a neat and finished effect. Of course, as will be apparent, when the cement reaches a block 19 it is removed and cement is applied in its place. When the sections are assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, bolts 20 are assed throu h pairs of openings 21 in the eams 5 and t ough openings 22 in pairs of the facing-boards 8, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby firmly assembling the sections.

The means for holding the sections in horizontal lane consists in this instance of four s ringeams 23, 24, 25, and 26, two footb ocks 27 and 28, and three head-blocks 29, 30, and 31. The terminals of each of the spring-beams are beveled in the same direction, while the terminals of the foot-blocks and head-block 30 are beveled in opposite directions. The head-block 30 engages the center support, which comprises two beams 32 and 33, disposed at right angles to each other and properly secured together by bolts or the like at their point of intersection, the terminals of the beams being designed to engage with facing-boards 6 and 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In order to permit the cement to pass around the under faces of the beams 20, spacing-blocks 34 are interposed between the under sides of the beams and the soffit-boards, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, these being comosed of cement with a stout wire 35 comined with them to be bent around the bases of the beams, as shown in Fi 2.

When the foot-blocks, sprmg-beams, and head-blocks are positioned as shown in Fig.

2, a turnbuckle 36 is connected with the beams 24 and 25, preferably in this instance by seating the ends of the screws 37 in orifices in the beams and securing them therein by pins 38. When the nut or turnbuckle is turned, the spring-beams 24 and 25 will be drawn toward each other, and thereby, through the coaction between the bevel-terminals of the head-block 30 and the beams, lift the sections and at the same time force the wedge to position.

When the sections have been properly adjusted, so as to occupy an exactly horizontal plane, strips of metal 39 of the same contour in cross-section as the channels 11 and 12 are placed over the spaces or slots 17 between the sections, thereby preventing the mortar or cement from escaping therethrough. When the section is thus positioned, the cement is applied, being spread over the section, and is secured by twisted cross-bars 40 and 41, that are disposed at right angles to each other in the usual manner. In order to hold the head-blocks 29 and 31 in operative position, these are lightly nailed to the cross-boards of the center-support and may readily be detached therefrom when the center is to be taken down. To dismantle the structure, it is only necessary to remove the anchors 14 from enga ement with the keepers 16, when the so 'tboards may be readily lowered, after which the spring-beams are taken down, and upon the bolts 20 being removed the sections may be taken down one by one without in'ury.

It will be seen from the foregoing escription that although the improvements herein defined are simple in character they will be found thoroughly practical for the purpose designed and will in a positive manner obviate certain difliculties heretofore inherent in centers of this character.

I claim 1. A center comprising a plurality of sections, means for supporting said sections, sofiit-boards located at the edges of the sections, eyes attached to the sections, anchors passing under said soffit-boards and engaging said eyes. I

2. A center comprising aplurality of sections, means for supporting said sections, soffit-boards located at the edges of said sections, said sections having horizontally-disposed eyes, anchors passing under said soflitboards and having at their ends lateral projections which pass through and extend above the upper edges of said eyes, and wedges interposed between the rear edges of said anchors and said eyes.

3. A center comprising a plurality of sections, means for supporting said sections, soflit-boards attached to the edges of said sections, and wedges interposed between the inner opposite edges of said sections.

4. A center comprising a plurality of sections, means for supporting said sections, soffit-boards attached to the edges of said sections, spacing blocks detachably located above said soffit-boards.

5. A center comprising a plurality of sections, means for supporting said sections consisting of a plurality of sprmg members, head and foot blocks with which the terminals of the said members coact, and a turnbuckle coacting with two of the members to effect I adjusting of the sections.

6. A center comprising a plurality of sections, each having its upper side provided with panel-forming ribs, wedges adapted to engage the opposed edges of the sections, a center-support embodying cross members adapted to underlie the meeting edges of the sections, a head-block carried by the support, a plurality of spring members, head and foot blocks with which the terminals of the said members coact, and a turnbuckle coacting with two of the members to effect adjusting of the center-support.

and spacers coacting with the soi'fit-boards each consisting of a body of cement having embedded therein a wire, the terminals of I 5 which constitute attaching members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HY. SHERWOQD.

Witnesses:

JOHN MERGY, CHARLES M. RAINs. 

